A killer who murdered his long-term accomplice was capable of assault his new girlfriend as a result of he modified his title to hide his actual id.
Scott Storey, 56, was out on licence from jail for the deadly knife assault when he tried to seize an axe to hit his new accomplice, who knew nothing of his previous.
His traumatised ex-lover is now demanding the closure of a loophole the place harmful offenders can legally change their names.
The girl, who requested to not be named as she nonetheless fears for her security, mentioned: “I don’t assume severe violent offenders needs to be allowed to vary their names.
“It left me weak after I ought to have been protected and it simply isn’t proper.
“If I’d been launched to Scott Storey and googled him to search out he had murdered his accomplice with a kitchen knife in a match of mood, I'd by no means have let him close to me.”
His sufferer revealed the killer launched himself as Scott Stewart when he began as a handyman at a restaurant in Perth the place she labored.
He’d simply been launched from Fort Huntly Jail, Angus, after serving greater than 12 years for the 2004 homicide of Bridget Cameron, the mom of his youngsters, in Edinburgh’s Leith.
Storey and his new girlfriend had been in a relationship for just a few months when he attacked her in her residence after she requested him to not smoke inside.
She mentioned: “It was at all times a little bit of a bone of competition that I didn’t need him to smoke in the home, and I sensed a little bit of resentment. One morning I got here downstairs and it was apparent he’d been up and consuming all night time, which he hadn’t carried out earlier than.
“He wished to smoke and I mentioned, ‘Not in the home.’ He then led me into the spare room and opened the window and mentioned absolutely that was OK because it was winter and bitterly chilly.
“I simply wished a quiet life. I mentioned, ‘Positive’ and walked away however he was spoiling for a combat and got here after me, saying he didn’t like my tone of voice. He had a cup in his fingers and threw it at me. It missed and smashed off the kitchen cabinet.
She added: “I used to be astonished. I’d by no means seen him act like that.
“Then he grabbed me, mentioned he was going to smash me, smash my home, smash the automotive and smash the whole lot in my life.
“Then he mentioned he was going to place an axe in my head. He compelled me to the bottom and was holding on with one hand and making an attempt to open a drawer with the opposite.
“I knew there was a toolbox with a small axe inside in that drawer and I used to be terrified. I assumed I used to be going to die.
“I couldn’t rise up as he was holding me. Then he let go for just a few seconds as he couldn’t get the drawer open vast sufficient to get the toolbox out. As he tried to get it out, I received up, managed to seize my automotive keys and fled.”
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She referred to as police and in August final yr, after pleading responsible at Perth Sheriff Courtroom, he was jailed for 14 months.
Particulars of the incident had been learn out in court docket by prosecutor Lora Apostolova.
She mentioned: “The accused opened a kitchen cabinet and pulled out a field which comprises instruments and an axe.
“[The] witness was now in concern for her life and ran out of the locus whereas grabbing her automotive keys and drove to a spot of security, away from the accused.”
It was solely after the case that his new girlfriend found the horrifying extent of Storey’s previous, together with that he had gone on the run to Thailand and was extradited again to the UK after three years on the run to face costs of murdering Bridget.
He was sentenced to a minimal of 12 years and 6 months.
After being launched from Fort Huntly, he began working within the cafe and met his unsuspecting girlfriend.
The couple began relationship in the summertime of final yr. She knew he had been in jail however had no concept of the crime.
By autumn, he was splitting his time between her residence in Perth and his mother and father’ residence in Edinburgh.
Initially, she mentioned he was very caring and useful however as soon as they had been in a relationship, he didn’t like her to be round different males, even at work.
“That was the primary alarm bell,” the 61-year-old mentioned.
“However the truth he wasn’t there even half the week meant it wasn’t too claustrophobic and I felt I had time to determine whether or not the connection might work.”
“I knew he should have carried out one thing severe however, like everybody else, I judged him as I discovered him. I see the great in folks earlier than I see the dangerous.
“I by no means requested the circumstances of the crime and it by no means even occurred to me that he may need killed a lady in a home setting.”
The case has uncovered how simple it's for offenders to vary identities.
The Scottish Conservatives’ shadow neighborhood security minister Russell Findlay mentioned: “It's incorrect that harmful predators are capable of assume a brand new id. That is carried out to cover their previous and endangers public security.
“This surprising case confirms it's not simply intercourse offenders who benefit from this surprising loophole. Not solely ought to intercourse offenders be banned however so too ought to anybody given a life sentence and poses a hazard to the general public.
“Folks should know if a harmful felony is of their neighborhood.”
The Scottish Authorities has admitted that there isn't a regulation to stop offenders altering their names however mentioned there have been “strict provisions” to make sure lifers had been monitored by supervising officers.
Lifers are anticipated to reveal particulars of friendships and relationships to their supervisors in case they offer any trigger for alarm.
Convicted killers stay on licence for all times and Storey was recalled to jail after being charged beneath his new authorized title, Stewart, with assaulting his new lover.
Storey is in Perth Jail and the Parole Board for Scotland will rule on his case.
A Scottish Authorities spokesman mentioned: “Whereas there may be nothing to stop offenders from altering their title, prisoner life licences comprise strict provisions to make sure people are intently monitored by supervising officers, reminiscent of disclosing particulars of any friendships, associations or contacts they've.”
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